Notre Dame offensive tackle Charles Jagusah will miss the 2024 season after suffering a torn right pectoralis muscle during preseason camp, the team announced Monday. Jagusah, who was expected to start at left tackle, will undergo surgery to correct the tear.
This is a huge loss for a Notre Dame team that hopes to compete for a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. The Fighting Irish lost both starting tackles from 2023 -- Joe Alt and Blake Fisher -- to the NFL Draft. Alt went off the board fifth overall to the Los Angeles Chargers, while Fisher was selected in the second round.
Jagusah redshirted as a true freshman last season while spending time at guard during preseason camp and practice. When Alt opted out of Notre Dame's Sun Bowl win against Oregon State to prepare for the NFL Draft, Jagusah got his first career start at left tackle and helped pave the way for a 236-yard rushing performance.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman all but confirmed during the spring that Jagusah would maintain his starting spot.
"Jagusah has always been pretty much the one at the left tackle," Freeman said.
The 6-foot-7 and 330-pound Jagusah signed with Notre Dame in 2023 out of Alleman High School in Rock Island, Illinois. The No. 8 offensive tackle and No. 46 player nationally out of the prep ranks, Jagusah was the highest-ranked prospect in Notre Dame's 2023 class.
Where Notre Dame can turn
Notre Dame now essentially has to replace its top three tackles from 2023. Jagusah was the only solidified starter on the outside for the Irish, who have had a battle for the starting right tackle spot during spring practice and fall camp.
Aamil Wagner, a four-star signee from the Class of 2022, was an early frontrunner to anchor the right side of Notre Dame's offensive line. He'll almost assuredly be guaranteed a starting spot now and could slide over to the left to fill the vacancy left by Jagusah.
That leaves the likes of Tosh Baker, a fifth-year senior with some previous starting experience, and a pair of true freshmen in Anthonie Knapp and Guerby Lambert to battle it out for whatever position Wagner doesn't occupy. With how teams cross-train along the offensive line, Notre Dame could also slide someone out from the interior.
The good news for the Irish is that offensive interior has plenty of experience. Notre Dame returns a total of 29 starts from the 2023 season among its centers and guards, including 13-game starter Pat Coogan. Ashton Craig is penciled in as the center after closing last season at that spot, while Billy Schrauth, who has generated plenty of buzz among coaches and players during the offseason, seems cemented at one of the guard spots.
Whatever Notre Dame decides, it only has a couple weeks of fall camp left to iron things out. Freeman's squad opens the season Aug. 31 with a huge test on the road against Texas A&M.
